Recommend a trackball or pad please

I’m editing what seems like a thousand vocal tracks and I realised that when I do it on my Mac, it’s fast because of the touch mouse I use. I can swipe sideways instead of hunting for the rather skinny window thing to move around. I looked for trackpads and saw some really expensive options - for that price I want tubes and a pad switch. What about a trackball mouse? There’s a Logitech wireless for about AU$100 that might do. This is on a Windows box. Any recommendations? Do you use a trackpad or trackball?

I’m a long term trackball user, currently using a Logitech MX Ergo trackball which I am happy to recommend. There is an adaptation period to a trackball if you have not used one before, but I think it is well worth it.

One thing to be aware of is that the control possibilities of a trackball and a mouse are the same. It helps that the MX Ergo is amongst those devices that have a ‘left and right’ axis on the scroll wheel as well as an ‘up and down’ one.

I’ve been using the Kensington Expert Trackball for years. Excellent.

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Kensington Orbital here, all I use

+1 Trackball. Been using for years.

You have tried click and hold middle mouse button/wheel and drag ?

I use both Logitech MX Ergo trackball and the M570 wireless. I started using a trackball around 2000 because I got issues with a regular mouse. Shoulder problems because of the constant movement? Since then I never had the issue again!

However, there’s a distinct difference between the MX and M570 trackballs. For one the MX is a lot more expensive and has an option you can tilt it like 45 degrees and an extra programmable button. Besides that the MX seems to be developed for rather larger hands. If you have average sized hands you might be better off with the M570.

Also be aware that these mouse are specifically designed for right handed!

I suggest giving the ELECOM line of trackball products a look.

I like Cordless Optical TrackMan from logitech best. It works great with KVM switches (not many do). However it is very much for the right hand only, and unfortunately it is discontinued. :frowning:

You dont have to use the skinny window slider if you hold shift and use the mouse wheel.

Looks very good, but it seems to be lacking distribution in EU!

Kensington Orbit (with the scroll ring) here - and it’s been excellent - if i got a new one i’d probably have a few extra buttons as you can really make use of them on a trackball better than a mouse i think.

You can set up command for pressing both buttons at once, which works well - but not ideal.

I used Amazon.de to buy it.

Might be a good idea to read this before you spend some money: https://www.reddit.com/r/Trackballs/comments/8zrvtv/kensington_expert_user_tries_elecom_huge/

lol i love that Reddit has a /r/trackballs sub. Just imagine talking trackballs each day… wow that’s some dedication! :slight_smile:

I’m a longtime trackball user who currently uses jellycomb trackball https://www.jellycomb.com/MV021B-Bluetooth-2-4G-Wireless-Mouse-BT-4-0-BT-4-0-2-4G-p1617645.html,
I’m happy to recommend it.
If you haven’t used trackball before, there will be a period of adjustment, but I think it’s worth it.
It should be noted that the trackball and mouse control possibilities are the same.
This helps jellycomb to be one of those devices that have “left and right” and “up and down” axes on the rolling wheel.

Kensington Slimblade.
Cant work without it!

Logitech MX ergo here…it’s a look like mouse but without to be a mouse…and tilt function is great for arm and shoulder issue. Also the wheel and left and right button are the same of mouse…

I recently got a Kensington Slimblade but ran into a problem with horizontal scrolling becoming inverted withing Cubase 9. I found the X Mouse Button Controller fix online, but for whatever reason the profile is not overriding the default inversion in Cubase. Also, the Kensington works software profile I made for Cubase 9 is not overriding the default settings in Cubase either. Has anyone experienced something similar? I love the trackball (I’m a drummer with bad tendonitis/carpal tunnel in my right arm/wrist), but the inverted horizontal scrolling is driving me mad and really slowing me down. thanks!

Kensington Expert here. I had tried it for 6 months years ago and got frustrated when trying to move the curser in a straight line horizontally. It was difficult. So I retired it, and got with a wireless mouse. Not the end of the story…

Then I watched a Waves YT video of Dave Pensado using the Kensington Expert. What I saw him do while using it had never occured to me when I had used it. When he wanted to move the curser in a straight line horizontally, he gently gripped the ball and ROLLED it left or right while keeping the ball on it’s at rest axis - as if it was a world globe with a rod straight through it, top to bottom. At this point I pulled the Expert off the shelf and have used it ever since.

The other thing about the Expert that takes a minute is the palm pad. It kept coming loose and I had to constantly reposition it. The palm pad has two little plastic points that connect to the roller ball base. One day, in frustration, I pushed hard on one of the two points, and I felt/heard it ‘pop’ into the receiver hole on the trackball base. I did the same to the other side and they have remained there for the last 3 years.

Another plus, there’s no need to load the Kensington software, Win10 is on it.